Approval Granted for Casino with 1,300-Room Accommodation by Mississippi Gaming Commission
New Casino Resort Proposed for Biloxi's Beachfront
A new casino resort is set to grace Biloxi's beachfront, following the Mississippi Gaming Commission's approval of Biloxi Capital's request to build and operate the casino. The project, led by Mississippi real estate developer Daniel Conwill, will be constructed on a 32-acre property at 420 Beach Blvd, previously home to the Tivoli Hotel.
The casino resort will be a grand spectacle, boasting a 100,000 square foot casino, 2,000 slot machines, 75 table games, a sportsbook, 1,300 guestrooms, convention space, and typical amenities like restaurants and bars. If built, it would be the second-largest hotel in Biloxi after Beau Rivage.
The Tivoli Hotel, originally a luxury hotel built in the 1920s and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984, was previously an apartment complex for transient guests before shuttering in the 1990s. Hurricane Katrina destroyed the hotel in 2005. The new casino resort will feature a full-scale replica of the Tullis-Toledano Manor that was also lost in the hurricane.
However, the proposed casino resort is not without controversy. Concerns about the impact on the Biloxi casino market have been raised, given the already observed decline in in-person gross gaming revenue (GGR) at Mississippi Gulf Coast casinos. The Gulf Coast market, which includes Biloxi's 12 casinos, has experienced a slowdown in GGR since 2021. Revenue dropped from $1.608 billion in 2021 to $1.582 billion in 2024 and a further 0.5% decrease through the first five months of 2025 compared to 2024, representing a loss of over $2.77 million.
The second casino project, currently tied up in tidelands litigation, could follow on 360 Beach Blvd, featuring 900 slots, 35 tables, and a sportsbook. Conwill, the owner and operator of Felix's Restaurant Group, has been trying to open a casino on the property for almost two decades.
In the post-COVID-19 economy, casinos are experiencing significantly higher overhead costs. Conwill will need to demonstrate he has financing in place and key members of the development team will undergo suitability reviews during the casino licensing process.
[1] Data source: Mississippi Gaming Commission.
- The new casino resort, anticipated to be constructed by Biloxi Capital, will be located at 420 Beach Blvd, a site previously occupied by the Tivoli Hotel.
- The forthcoming resort will be a significant addition to Biloxi's beachfront, featuring a 100,000 square foot casino, 2,000 slot machines, 75 table games, a sportsbook, and more.
- If completed, the resort would rank second in size only to the Beau Rivage, making it one of the largest casinos in Biloxi, Mississippi.
- The Tivoli Hotel, once a luxury establishment built in the 1920s, will be replicated in the new resort, including a full-scale replica of the Tullis-Toledano Manor.
- However, there are concerns about the impact of this new casino resort on the Biloxi casino market, given the decline in in-person gross gaming revenue (GGR) at Mississippi Gulf Coast casinos, a trend that has been ongoing since 2021.
- Conwill, the owner and operator of Felix's Restaurant Group, is also planning a second casino project on 360 Beach Blvd, though tidelands litigation has delayed its progress.
